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Friday, March 9, 2012

A little bird told me that I should do an "Organizing Cords" post.... so happy day because it's here!

However, I didn't always think happy thoughts about cords. In fact, when Emily mentioned to me that I was getting quite a few questions on the subject, I hung my head a bit....

I knew where my cords were, so I guess I get a point for that, but they really weren't organized.
They lived in some stacked media boxes on a shelf by my computer:

But open those boxes and you would see a jumbled mess of cords, all webbed together. What cord did what? No one really knew. I dreaded the day the kids would ask for the battery charger or the hubs would spend multiple minutes looking for his PlayStation controller cord...

So I emptied the contents of the boxes onto the table - I wish this was an exaggeration to make a great before and after story, but it's 100% what I was dealing with! You know that gross goosebumpy feeling you get when someone puts nails on a chalkboard? I get that same feeling when looking at pictures like this:

I also gathered all the cords that were around the house that weren't originally in the box, to take inventory and make sure we weren't keeping any that we no longer used or needed.

SO much better already. However, there were some cords used more than others, and I wasn't sure that I would want to deal with the cable tie every time we used them {like iPad chargers}, and I feared that eventually they would end up back the way they were originally. Plus, at first glance, I still didn't know which were which.

Instead of popping them back into the empty media boxes:

We cut down some cardboard pieces to create dividers:

Which I proceeded to cover with pretty scrapbook paper... {because, you know, that's what I do}

Since they couldn't be fed through my printer {which is always a bit of a bummer for me}, I turned to my label maker paired with clear printing tape to create the labels for each cord type:

I was loving it! The best part was tossing each cord into it's new "cubby":

A couple of things to note:

We keep one charging station in our bedroom for our cell phones {we charge them over night, yes, away from our bed/heads}. We keep another charging station specifically for the kid's DS chargers in our playroom. Those five chargers will forever remain in their stations in those specific locations, which is why you don't see them here.

The two boxes were grouped by type of cord and frequency of use. The chargers/cords we use often, will stay up on a bookshelf in our living room near our electronics. The cords used less often or that are related to our computer, will remain down on the shelf next to the computer. Smart thinking right?

So there you have it! I no longer have to fear the cord box. And the system should be super simple to maintain, which makes me all warm and happy inside!

Now it's your turn! What is your secret to organizing all those cords? An over the door pocket organizer? Toilet paper tubes? Do share!UPDATE! We have tweaked our cord organization a bit and you can find those details here!

Haha it's posts like this that just make me want to BE you. It's so perfect. So pretty! I know exactly where all my cords are, and it's stuffed in my padded laptop bag. Not exactly photo-worthy ;) But you've inspired me! Looks like I have another project for the list.

I definitely need to copy this - I have a (much worse than yours since it includes every possible cord we've come into contact with for the past four years, including for items we no longer even own!) jumble of cords in a tray and always find it impossible to find the cords that I actually need!

My whole house looks like your before picture right now, and I have a constant goosebumpy feeling. Working 3 days a week, and being a mom is leaving me very little(read:NO) time to make things organized, let alone pretty. How do people do it?!

Ack, our cords are a HUGE mess right now; they live in a jumbled pile inside of a large grey bucket/tote (about 24x12x15) and it's totally filled with cords! I did at least put cardboard dividers in a while ago to try to tame some of the crazy, but the system has sort of fallen apart since then :-(

You've inspired me to get it all a bit better organized! Plus, great idea about the cable ties to hold stuff together.

Who knew that cords could look so pretty! As always, a wonderful post. I've also found it handy to use my label maker to write out exactly what the cord goes to (which camera, which phone, etc.), and then to wrap it around the cord, so that the tape ends up sticking to itself and forming a little 2-inch flag around the cord. Maybe I'm not explaining myself very well.....but it's been very helpful when family members aren't "as diligent" as following up the organizing systems we put in place. Love your style, Jen!

I do this too. And I put the label by the plug end so when they are plugged in, you can look at the power strip and know which one is for he device you want to unplug. Very handy for multicord spots like computer or stereo.

Why should we not charge gadgets near our head/bed? I have a bedside clock that doubles as my Touch dock and charger. And since I'm blind as a bat without my glasses it's within a foot or two of my head. Inquiring minds wanna know! :)

I am no doctor or expert, I have just read and heard that phones shouldn't be charged near your bedside, since they put off radiation and over time it's not great for your health. Plus, some say it causes sleep issues. Again, I don't know for sure, but we just pop them in a charger in our dressing room so we can still hear them if they ring at night.

All of my cords are stored in ziploc type bags with the name of whatever device they go with written on the baggie in permanent black marker and are in a basket on a high shelf in my office area. I am loving what you have done and I just happen to have an empty media box that is screaming for an inside makeover!! Thanks so much for sharing!!

I really need to do this. My husband has a ridiculous amount of cords (he's a DJ and does recording/mixing so... yeah). But I have to figure it out on a larger scale. And probably in plastic bins. Hmm...

I have a DJ hubby too One recycling solution we used was to hold on to all the cardboard tubes from TP and paper towels. The tubes slip easily over most of the cords and are easily labeled. Then they are easily sorted into appropriate boxes that fit his sense of organization. :o) (We have different ideas on that subject) They could easily be color coded in cute scrapbook paper, even though my hubby didn't care for this option.

I keep mine in individual Ziploc bags with their labels on them. It actually saved us once - we were moving and somehow the cord box got vegetable oil spilled into it (don't ask!). It wasn't pretty, but we were able to salvage the cords! Definitely a system I will keep.

By the way, did you just free-hand those cardboard dividers, or did you already have some cardboard that had slits in them? I hope to use the same media boxes so if by chance there's a template..... :)

I used to store mine in a divided tray but now they are in the shoe organizer I hung on the inside of my office closet door. Scroll down in this post and you'll see it: http://athomewithh.blogspot.com/2012/02/closet-cleaningorganizing.html

I love this idea! I am working on organizing my husband and my office right now, and sometime soon the cords will have to be dealt with. My sister gave me this great idea to use the little containers Crystal Light come in {like these only without the wrapper: http://www.kraftbrands.com/crystallight/Pages/default.aspx#/mocktails/mojito}The containers will be great for things like headphones and cables but some of our chargers are large and boxy and won't fit. I'll have to keep your method in mind! Thanks!

Wow, your ability to come up with easy, stylish, inexpensive solutions to store stuff never ceases to amaze me. This is a great idea and much better than my "put them all in one box and hope for the best" approach.

My hubby and I are both geeks, so we have lots of cables under our computer desk. 1. If you have the budget, make cable management at the top of your list when looking for a new desk (or designing one). You can find them where you feed the cables through troughs to hide them. 2. if you don't have the budget (and who does anymore?), wrap groupings of cables in velcro. Like monitor cables in one group and keyboard/mouse in another. Them you can use cup hooks screwed into the bottom and sides of your desk and hook the groups behind those.

This is definitely something that is on my to-do list. We have so many cords in several different locations in our house (even in the garage) and it is starting to get on my nerves. I never know where a cord is when I am looking for it. I have thought and thought and thought and still haven't came up with the best solution for us, but this is a great solution that I plan on considering. Great job once again!!! ;)

There is a way to keep cords wound without twist ties or velcro or other hot ideas. This is how we do it. Put the two ends together and hold them in your dominate hand with the ends at the bottom edge of your palm. Wrap the remaining cable around your hand several times. Once you have just a little bit left, take the loop off your hand and wrap the rest of it horizontally around your loop. Take the last bit of tail and put it through the top loop and pull tight. It's hard to describe in writting. But it won't come undone unless you push the tail back through the top loop. This works well when you have something bulky on one end...like a keyboard, mouse or old style game controller.

Oh, I love this!!! I have a drawer full of cords... I did wise up, and when I bought my newest digital camera, also purchased a small plastic bin large enough to hold the tutorial disc, all cords, and the small pocket-size camera itself, so that everything is all together. But that clear plastic bin isn't nearly so pretty as your dividers! You DO plan to begin manufacturing Cord Storage Boxes, right? :)

Jen - this is amazing. I, too am inspired just like everyone else. I will say I LOVE the idea of combo-ing the toilet paper tube/pretty paper cover idea, and the only thing I would add is labeling each cord with a label maker so no matter where it ends up, you always know which spot it goes in. THANK YOU! I can't wait to organize my cords (which currently look exactly like your before pic, minus the pretty backdrop!).

I keep all my cords wrapped up in a pretty basket but I label each cord separately. They don't take up as much space and if they come out of their "nook" that you've made, you still know what they go to!

What a great Idea. I took the time last year to use my label maker and label every cord I could find in the house. It really helps! But love having the divided box on the shelf for those lessor used cables

I use my label maker to label the cords themselves. I print a label with the word all the way to the left or right with extra space either before or after the word. I remove the adhesive backing, and stick the sticky sides together around the cord. This way I always know which cord is which and the labels stay on very well and are easy to read! :)

Great idea... Got me thinking. How about using a cardboard bottle carrier that you get when you purchase bottles in stores like Tesco, Marks and Soencer. They hold six bottles and I think you could probably decorate with pretty papers and labels quite easily. It might be an easier alternative to creating dividers for a box.You can let me know what you think!Just found your site and it is so helpful. I have already started getting some things much better organised. My next major project is my craft room.

Bless you Jen! This post is a God send! I currenly use a clear, plastic shoe box for our chargers. Over the years, the box has gotten full and tangled. The only good thing is that the cords are all in the same place. But now I am going to make the dividers and I was thinking about using Martha Stewart's Elastinote bands. That project will get done soon! Thanks so much and take care!

your ideas are always so fantastic!! I love that you took plain ole cardboard and made it into little dividers (and I love even more that you prettied them up!) That was so cost effective. I have been following your blog since fall of 2011 and this weekend will be my first time since following that I get to hit up a Target and IKEA...I am sooo giddy!!! Thanks for all the great inspiration Jen!

This is such a great idea. We've got all of our cords thrown in a cute wicker basket and while it looks pretty up on the shelf, it takes me FOREVER to find a cord when I need it (in fact, it two me 3 hours to locate my camera cord just last week). So cool!

Love the pretty storage of the cords. We have a gazillion cords too. Most of them I keep in individual ziploc bags with a label on the front, then stored in a slim ( ziploc size!) drawer.The two main chargers are in a basket on my mail softer and I labelled the actual chargers ( phone & kindle). I,m going to redoubt my ziploc drawer and make it pretty like yours :)

Hi Jen:) WOW!! what lovely way to keep all those cords!! I'm off to Ikea for a few things to get organizing! You have totally inspired me to get started on some areas of my home. 1st. on my list my son's room with those legos:) Love your blog and will visit every day!!Hugs,Norma

I am SO new to craft projects, it's embarrassing. Here goes. How did you apply the scrap paper to the dividers? Adhesive spray paint, or is it like contact paper where it is already sticky? And, where do you get the colorful scrap paper? Sorry for asking, but I just needed to know. What a great idea . . . one of many. Thank you

Hey Jen,Not sure if you know this, but Martha Stewart has those same labels in a bigger pack (each paper is a different colour) that actually go right through the printer!!! Check them out!Such a great post - definitely going to go home and pretty-up a box of my own :)

I've got mine in all tagged in a box but they still get tangled so thanks for the tip...I also have a problem with the cords when things are being charged, unfortunately our power points are above waist height so i've been racking my brains trying to think of how to make that look good, any ideas?? xx Jayne

Oh. My. Goodness. I'm definitely pinning this so that I can do this. We have two big boxes of wild cords that I don't know what to do with--not I do! I have tons of scrapbook paper AND two cardboard boxes in my car that I was just about to throw away. It's kismet! Thanks so much for this!

You missed a label opportunity. I print a tiny label on an index card with the name of the item the cord goes to (e.g. ASUS Computer, Gateway computer, vacuum cleaner, coffee maker, etc) cut it out, fold it gently (think over a pencil) around the cord and then tape it to make it permanent. I always know what that cord goes to no matter what pile it gets placed in.

The cords for the stereo, dvd player/recorder, tv, also have a note regarding what end goes where (as in does the cable go to the TV or the DVD recorder?) Get it right once and never guess again.

Hi Jen! Awesome tutorial as always! Quick question, where do you find all your fabrics, wallpapers and scrapbook papers? You always have such beautiful, yet simple papers. I love the paper or is it fabric you placed under the plexiglass on your desk, as well as the blue paper under the boxes you created to house your cords. Please share where you find them. Thanks!

I find them all over the place, however, my favorite "go to" places are fabric.com {98% all of my fabric is from there} and JoAnn/Michaels for scrapbook paper packs or Archivers for single sheets of scrapbook paper.

Love this idea! I just reorganized my kitchen office space and put in a few baskets for cords, but they are already a knotted mess! Where did you find the cardboard inserts? That is exactly what I need, but have no boxes to speak of at home... Your blog is such an inspiration! Thanks for the wonderful ideas!

I just had in the past for a quick simple cheap way to tame the cord monsters was take the ziplock baggies wrote on the white area where it says contents and put them in rubbermaids then when I needed the cord I would get it out.

I noticed that you have a Neat Desk Scanner. I had looked into one but I can't seem to justify the price. To me the software is where the expense is coming in. What do you think of the scanner and the software? Do you like it and think they are worth the price?

I LOVED this post. I have a couple of questions I was hoping you might answer. First, did you come across cords that you had no idea what they went to, but were afraid of tossing for fear the next day you would need them? (that would be me!) And, if so, what did you do?

Secondly, do you have an actual charging station, like the ones they sell in PB or do you just call the place where you plug the chargers in you charging station?

I found some old cell phone chargers, but I had no problem retiring them since my kiddos play with the old phones and I knew they no longer had a use. Other than that, I typically donate/sell items with the cords, so we didn't have too many extras that we did not need. Maybe keep a temporary cord box for those that don't have a match, and if you don't use any of them in the next month or two, you know you can say goodbye.

Yep, we use actual charging stations to wrangle and hide the other cords that we keep plugged in continuously.

I took this concept and applied it to batteries in our hall closet. It seems like I was always rummaging through the bucket to find new batteries, and I never knew which ones we were running low on. I will buy AA's at the store, but needed to buy AAA's! This takes out the guess work. Thanks!

My family has a huge amount of technological stuff so we have a lot of cords. I keep everything organized in gallon ziploc bags organized by the purpose of the cords - so there are bags for camera stuff, GPS stuff, mini-USB cords, etc. They're not the prettiest solution in the world, but it's really easy to find everything and I just keep all the bags in a desk drawer so they're hidden away. I also just use rubber bands to keep the cords tidy.

Um, what can I say! This whole post is fabulous!! Seriously swoon worthy. I just discovered your blog, and I'm so happy that I did! I did a post on organizing in January and it did make me want to step it up a notch (http://flutterflutter.ca/2012/01/19/a-place-for-everything/) but it falls to the wayside so quickly when things get busy! Nice to "meet" you! Rosa

I actually used a DYMO label maker I found at Target a few years ago... ironically it died during this particular project right at the end, lol. I just picked up the Epson LabelWorks LW-400 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005J7Y6GS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=iheaorga-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005J7Y6GS It looks like it has a lot of different printing options and has great reviews. I haven't personally played with yet, but I am quite excited about it.

This is such a late comment, but i thought someone might find it helpful. In lieu of twist ties or cable ties or rubber bands, my mom taught me to use the ponytail holders with the plastic balls on either end (found a picture - http://www.totallyfashiontrendy.com/Stretch_Hair_Balls_Girls_Ponytail_Holder_p/gphbe-0001.htm) You can color-code if you want to, and they keep things neat and don't break like twist ties can. I use them for things like curling irons and kitchen appliances as well as random cords. Just a tip!

After my new cat ate through the iron cord (unplugged, no harm to the cat), I cut both ends of a plastic water bottle and then wrapped the cord and pushed it inside. It stays put nicely and now the cat couldn't care less about the cord. Problem solved!

Wow that is great. I use a really neat product I seen http://www.greatusefulstuff.com/2-sided-cord-pouch-p/ofc01125gykrsd.htm.

My biggest problem is I don't remember what cord is for what so I have a bunch of the same cords grouped together. One day I will sort out the cords and label them all correctly.

The other thing I do is my most used cords that will not fit in my charging station - I have a 3 slot charging station. I wrap them and put tie around them open the lid for my charging station and store my cords in there. I still know where they are even if I don't charge them on the station.

Love it. I'm just moving the a new apartment & have my cords all in a box which don't know if still need or not. This is a great way to put them away. I actually started to label the one we using now so if need to disconnect we know which one it is.

I simply used my label maker set to a small font and with a clear plastic tape, I made a label for each charger. I put the label directly on each charger. We have loved it! I have 5 children ages 9 and up, so we have many, many chargers for phones, kindles, cameras, ipads, electric razors, etc... (Wish there was one that could recharge me!) Anyway, I never hear the dreaded, "what is this charger for?" question anymore! I also keep the cords of most of the chargers bundled up leaving just enough out to reach the outlet. As for a charging station for the bedroom...I have been in the market for one for some time now. Any that you recommend? I hate seeing cords, period. Wish I could make them go away.

I do that, too! As soon as we purchase a new "gadget", my first move b/4 reading instructions or putting anything together is to label every single cord, accessory, & part! (And put our contact info on the gadget, so that it can be returned if left behind! That's saved us several times!)

Hi Jen! Would it be alright if I included one picture from this post (linking back to you, of course) in a post I'm writing about cord organization on my blog? Thanks! Kimhttp://pinspiredhome.blogspot.com/

Just wanted to let you know that when I search 'organize cords' in pinterest, your photo was one of the first to pop up. However, the link did not go to your blog. Instead it went here http://www.homedit.com/the-best-way-to-organize-cords/They used several of your photos in their post and even though they included a {found on iheartorganizing} link at the end of the post, the link is broken and does not link to this post or your blog at all.

Hi JenI'm planning on posting a different way to organize my cords, but thought it'd be nice to show your version. Would it be okay to have a link to your post? Thanks for your attention. jodiewww.jtouchofstyle.comjodie@jtouchofstyle.com

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